Process of desiccating foods



'ply tank for the tank communicating with the inner for supplying nozzle from tank `sulllcient volume tion of pressure the mixture is atented July 2Q, 1,943

Henry and Randal Dickinson,

Henry H. Moreton,

VGrand Rapids, Mich.,

East Orange, N. J.

substituted for abandoned application Serial No.

33,151, July'25, 1941, Serial N0.

1935. This application 400,652

July 1,

6 Claims. (Cl. 99-1991 process for dehydratng milk, eggs, and other fluid or semi-fluid food products, and also includes the product of said process.

Cne of the objects of the invention is to produce a desiccated food produci-I which retains all of the vitamin content inherent to the treated food inv its natural state. In the desiccation of foods as commonly practiced, the materials are usually dried by the use of steam or heated air. Owing to the presence of oxygen, the-vitamin content is oxidized and destroyed. A further object of the invention is to avoid this vitamin destruction by effecting dehydration through the medium off/a hot oxygen-free gas, as a means of supplying the necessary temperature and moisture carrying medium for dehydration.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set This invention is a forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of apparatus for the practice of the invention. Figure 2 is a detail sectional view illustrating a type of atomizing nozzle employed in said apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a supmaterial to be desiccated, said branch il, of a nozzle I2, so as to feed by gravity thereto, but provided with a pump I3 for increasing'the pressure, if desired. Communicating with the outer branch Il, of the nozzle l2, is a heater Il CO2 gas to the nozzle at suiiicient pressure to atomize the material supplied to the Ill. Any other oxygen-free gas which will be chemically inert with respect to the material being treated may be substituted A for the CO: gas.

The nozzle I2' discharges the mixed material and gas into a collecting chamberC, which is of to provide a substantial reducadjacent the nozzle, thereby atomizing the food materials and causing them to give up their moisture to the hot CO2 gas, as discharged into If desired, the contents ofthe chamber Cjmay be drawn of!- through the pipe I6, or they may be delivered to any standard type cyclone separator, indicated at I1. through aration. the dried product is removed through the outlet I9, and the CO: gas leaves at the top of the collector, and passes to a suitable recovery unit 20, through conduit 2l. The recovered gas is exhausted from the unit by suitable means indicated at 22, and may be returned to the the chambers.

' atomize the'food material as atomize the food material as it is so is desired. Complete pasteuriza l critical temperature of heater l5 through pipe 23, or sent elsewhere for any desired disposition. Y,

In operation, the function of the nozzle i2 is to transfer the to the liquid to be tically instantaneous, food material being treated below the critical temperature of vitamin destruction, and low enough to prevent coagulation of the albumen, unless the last mentioned result on is possible by means o! the above process without the destruction of any essential food values, and it is obvious that the vitamins are protected against destruction because they do not at any time come into contact with oxygen, so that oxidization is impossible, due to the fact'that all ofthe steps are carried out in a closed system. It willalso be understood that due to the use of an inert gas, there is no contamination of the food material, and that the nal product does not contain dried. The operation is practhe temperature of the being maintained any constituents which are not inherent to the it may be made, or what is claimed is:

`1. The process of desiccating foods comprising causing a stream of hot oxygen-free 4gas and a separate stream of food material to commingle all of the forms of its use,

f and to be discharged into a closed space, and

maintaining suiilcient pressure upon said gas to it is so discharged andin such manner that the heat of the gas drives oif the separate stream of food material to commingle and to be discharged into a closed space, maintaining the temperature of said gas below the vitamin destruction, and `said gas to discharged and :in such manner that the heat of the gas drives off the moisture carried by-thepfood material without vitamin destruction.

3. The process of desiccating foods maintaining suflicient pressure upon charged into a closed space, maintaining said heat contained in the inert gas the same, although withoutv vattempting to set forth all of the forms in which moisture carried by the food material without vitamin destruction.

comprising f causing a stream of heated CO: gas to commingle with a stream of food material and to be dis-- f gas at a temperature below the critical temperature of vitamin destruction, and maintaining sumcient pressure upon said gas to cause the latter to atomize the food material as it is soA discharged and in such manner that the food materials give up their moisture to the hot CO2 gas without oxidation of the vitamins.

4. 'I'he process of de siccating foods comprising inducing a stream of food material to be discharged into a closed space by the action of a owing stream of heated oxygen-free gas travelling under pressure to said closed space, maintaining a sufficient pressure-upon said gas to cause it to atomize the food stream as it is so discharged and in such manner that the hot gas will drive 01T the moisture carried by the food material without vitamin destruction.

5. The process of desiccating foods comprisin creating a owing stream of heatednon-oxidiz-v able gas and causing it to ilow to a closed space, causing said stream of hot gas to induce the flow of a stream of food material to said closed space, maintaining a pressure upon said stream of hot gas suicient to cause said gas to atomize the food material as it is so discharged and in such manner that the food material will give up its moisture to the hot gas without vitamin destruction.

6. The process of desiccating foods comprising inducing a stream of food material to travel to a closed space by the eductive effect of a owing stream of heated CO2 gas maintained at a temperature below the critical temperature of vitamin destruction, and maintaining sufficient pressure upon said gas to cause it to atomize the food material as it is so discharged and in such manner that the hot gas will drive 01T the moisture carried by said food material without vitamin destruction.

HENRY RANDEL DICKINSON. HENRY H. MORETON. 

